Performatist
    Free
    For Kids

    Magnificent Puppets: The films of De Swaef and James Roels

    Illustration for Magnificent Puppets: The films of De Swaef and James Roels

    Tuesday, March 17, 2026

    12:37 PM

    L'Alliance New York

    22 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022

    Scheduled

    About This Event

    Live free performance at L'Alliance New York

    About Oh Willy...(film_score)

    At L’Alliance New York, *Oh Willy…* is presented as a free, kid-friendly live performance with Emma De Swaef, Marc Roels, and James Roels. The piece follows Willy, a soft-spoken man pulled back to his rural childhood after his mother’s death, where memory and family patterns press in on him. Its tactile, hand-built world reflects a strand of contemporary Flemish animation and puppetry that has found an attentive audience in New York, even if no specific NYC premiere history is widely documented. One clear strength is its refusal to tidy up grief into a lesson.

    About the Artists

    Emma De Swaef

    Emma De Swaef

    Emma De Swaef is an artist whose work moves between free-form performance and projects made for younger audiences. In New York City, she has been presented at L’Alliance New York, including the program “Magnificent Puppets: The films of De Swaef and James Roels.

    Marc Roels

    Marc Roels is an individual artist whose work moves between free-form performance and projects made for young audiences. In New York City, he has appeared at L’Alliance New York, including the live program *Magnificent Puppets: The films of De Swaef and James Roels*.

    James Roels

    James Roels

    James Roels is an artist whose work moves between free-form performance, family programming, and rock/pop contexts. In New York City, he has appeared at L’Alliance New York in events ranging from film-centered evenings such as *Magnificent Puppets: The films of De Swaef and James Roels* to live concert settings including *Vincent Dedienne en concert (un lendemain soir de gala)*.